Prefabricated or cast veneer wall panels have been developed as a quick and efficient way to provide a masonry appearance for a building while simplifying construction and lowering construction cost. The design elements of prefabricated wall panels typically simulate brick, stone, tile and other masonry building components or materials commonly used in the construction of buildings. Examples of prefabricated wall panels are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,938 to Eberhardt, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,238 to Kellis et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,561 to Saito and U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,529 to Treister et al, in published U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 2007/0137128 to Viau et al and in Co-pending patent application Ser. No. 11/647,751 owned by the Assignee of the present invention.
Prefabricated wall panels are typically made from reinforced construction materials such as fiberglass reinforced concrete. Prefabricated wall panels made from such reinforced materials are resistant to damage to handling during packaging, shipping and installation. However, further improvements in durability to decrease loss due to breakage are still desired. The present invention relates to a prefabricated wall panel incorporating a mounting element to enhance durability and provide significantly improved handling characteristics as well as tongue and groove construction to simplify installation.